A device of this kind is known e.g. from EP 0 440 039 B1. The sausage stuffing machine described therein presses sausage meat through a stuffing tube into a hose-like sausage casing. By means of a twisting mechanism, individual sausage portions are formed between which twisting locations, i.e. division locations, are situated. The thus formed sausage string is progressed by two conveying belts of a so-called lengthwise apparatus. In the course of this progression, the sausage string passes a separating device which separates the sausage string at the division locations into individual sausages or into groups of a defined number of sausages, respectively. In the device of this kind, for this purpose rotating separator elements are provided at both sides of the sausage string, which elements counterrotate on circular paths and comprise blades or corresponding countersupports, respectively, at the outer end. The separator elements are mounted such that the blades or the countersupports, respectively, cooperate at one point of their rotation such that the sausage string is separated at a division location. In the process, the transport speed of the sausage string and the rotational speed of the separator elements are synchronized or adapted to the product.
In particular when stuffing extremely bowed (bent) sausage skins, e.g. natural skins, in particular pork skins, the twisting locations are often situated decentrally with respect to the axis of the individual sausages. That is why it is desirable for the region reached by the separator elements crosswise to the sausages to be as large as possible, so that even these decentral division locations are separated. However, this region is limited by the distance between the conveying belts, i.e. the diameter of the sausages. In particular extremely bowed skin materials can slip through at the edge of the separator elements, so that the division location is not separated. In particular in highly automated production lines, the rejections resulting therefrom lead to a loss of material and possibly also a loss of time.